Members of Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) Bus Maintenance will compete in its Seventh Annual Bus Maintenance Roadeo on Saturday, March 23, from 8 a.m. to noon. The competition will take place at the CATS South Tryon Bus Facility located at 3145 South Tryon Street.

“The roadeo gives us a chance to highlight and showcase the skills of our maintenance team,” said CATS Director of Maintenance Reggie Arrington. “Our staff does a great job working around the clock to keep our 322 buses running safely on the streets.”

Four teams of mechanics from CATS Bus Operations Division will put their expertise to the test in an intense competition. Each group is judged on speed and accuracy as they search for vehicle defects such as shifting and transmission problems. Competitors will receive seven minutes to locate and diagnose the designated defects. Teams will also take a written exam to test their knowledge of proper care for transit buses. The winning team will advance to the 2013 International Bus Maintenance Roadeo competition in Indianapolis, Indiana and compete against transit agencies from across the country.

In addition to mechanics, three body shop teams and three individual bus maintenance support/service lane employees will also compete in separate competitions.

Maintenance employees undergo intense training on a regular basis. They perform extensive inspections of tires, engines, brakes and other key parts of CATS vehicles before buses hit the streets. The bus maintenance division works 24 hours a day seven days a week to sustain CATS buses, which covered almost 11 million revenue miles in fiscal year 2012.

*Media wishing to attend the event should park in the visitor area of the parking deck and make their way to the bus entrance of the South Tryon Bus Facility to check in with security.

To learn more about CATS and its services, visit www.ridetransit.org, or call 704-336-7433.